News about reptiles and amphibians. This may be news from herpetologists, organizations, but also from private persons. Everyone is welcome to send me some news about the protection, abusing, mistreatment, discoveries, etc., of these fascinating animals .

zondag 29 april 2012

Living up to their good luck: Rare Philippine turtles smuggled to Hong Kong returned to Manila

By Associated Press, Published: April 27, 2012

MANILA, Philippines — Turtles
represent longevity and good luck, and that’s certainly true for 18 rare
smuggled turtles that were returned from Hong Kong to their native
Philippines.
Philippine Wildlife Bureau head Mundita Lim says the pond
turtles were confiscated at the Hong Kong airport in February from a
Chinese student, along with 13 more common box turtles.

Pond turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis) live only in forests on Palawan Island southwest of
Manila. Only about 120 remain in the wild. Lim says they are prized as
novelty pets or food.
Philippine officials took the unprecedented
step of traveling to Hong Kong and retrieving the turtles because they
are so rare. Palawan’s governor received the turtles at the Manila
airport Friday.
The 18 will be rehabilitated before being released in the wild.